ACV for Ringworm??

[trixie108]

I posted a few weeks ago about my kitty having bald spots and scaly patches on his head. The vet did a culture, but STILL hasn't gotten back to me. Well, this morning I woke up and found my DOG has the same thing on the side of his face I'm almost positive it is ringworm, but I'm afraid to use any medications on them just in case it's not.

So here's my question: I have read that if you soak a cotton ball with apple cider vinegar and hold it on the spots (not open sores obviously) for a few minutes twice a day, and it prevents the fungus from spreading and kills the existing fungus. Has anyone ever tried this? I'm sick of waiting for the vet's answer, and I want to make my babies better!!

 

[Liann]

No advice unfortunately, but if it is ringworm, you can catch it from your animals, so be wary of that. Here's a little info: http://life.familyeducation.com/infections/medical-treatment/40545.html

Some more info. specifically aimed at cats:

http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm/ringworm_in_cats

 

[dss62467]

Call the vet. It doesn't take that long to get these test results. We had a kitten with it, but didn't know until we had caught it ourselves. Yuck! It was easy enough to get rid of it with some sort of anti-fungal cream that the pharmacist suggested - but you have to make sure you wash everything in the house. I think the kitty was cured by a pill of some sort.

This was about 20 years ago, so that's why I'm using "I think" alot.

 

[lrayburn]

Call the vet but I would go ahead and put some OTC antifungal cream on it anyway. Ringworm will usually clear up with some Lotrimin or the like. It can take several weeks to fully go away and will likely clear up faster with a perscription cream versus the OTC but I would rather treat now than wait myself! The cream shouldn't do any harm anyway even if its something else.

Lisa

 

[ldy_solana]

i will keep a check on viola for it since her and sam cat play all the time. i notice some bald spots near the kitty's face but no sores or anything else out of the ordinary.

kassia

 

[kathryn]

Call the vet. It doesn't take that long to get these test results.

Actually, it does take about 3-4 weeks for ringworm tests. A hair or skin scraping from the affected area is cultured in a petri dish, and it takes about that long to see if something will grow from it. (When I got my cat Pete, the vet suspected he might be a ringworm carrier: no lesions, but scratching a lot. I thought it might be an allergy. Guess who was right...moi!)

 

[kathryn]

Re: the apple cider vinegar.
I've never heard of using it for ringworm, but I don't think it would do any hard. Vinegar (especially white, but it may be too harsh for this use) has antibacterial and perhaps antifungal properties, so it may work.

 

[buckeyegirl]

The fungal culture actually takes 7-10 days to grow. If it's been that long, give them a call and check on it. In the meantime, topical antifungals are probably best like clotrimazole. Not sure about the vinegar - I've had clients use a 50:50 vinegar/water mixture to enhance the acidity of the ear canal and help keep EAR fungal infections down (fungal= yeast) but don't think the same rule applies to dermatophytes on the skin (fungal=ringworm). Not sure if that's where your confusion lies? I don't think topical will do anything but give you a pickled cat

Call your vet and check on the status of the culture.

Heidi

 

[kathryn]

The fungal culture actually takes 7-10 days to grow.

Then I wonder why my vet made me bathe Pete with antifungal shampoo (he hated it!) for 3 weeks until she gave me the all-clear from ringworm?

(He and I didn't get off to a very good start, what with me giving him a bath 3 times a week at first, then 1-2 times a week, and stuffing pills---that he ended up not needing!---down him for 3 weeks.)

 

[buckeyegirl]

Not sure, Kathryn. Maybe he/she uses a different culture medium than we do. Ours is an in-house test called Fungassay which typically starts to grow/turn the medium red if they are positive for ringworm within 7-10 days. After that, you risk reading out contaminents. Sorry, I'm not trying to point fingers or lay blame Just saying what we do! I will usually have clients bathe their cats when I have a hi suspect case - just so we can not get too behind in the treatment once the culture is done.

Isn't bathing a cat fun?

Heidi

 

[hopefull]

only need to look under a microscope

I had ringworm once, got it from my cat. Cat had symptoms similar to what you are talking about. My doctor scrapped it, went down to the lab, looked at it under a microscope and gave me the verdict. I really don't think figuring out its a fungus is a difficult thing to do. I REALLY don't think your vet should be charging you a large fee for figuring this out. Get my drift. The apple cider thing makes sense because ringworm is a fungus and vinegar is a great fungicide. I know my doctor gave me lotramin for what I'd contracted from the cat. I never got to treat the cat. She decide to chase a a squirrel up the telephone pole. We don't want to talk about the outcome of that.

 

[kathryn]

Isn't bathing a cat fun?

I've done it in the past with other cats (new adoptees usually get a bath!), but Pete was the squirmiest Houdini twisty cat I've ever tried to bathe! When he was smaller, he could do a perfect 180-degree turn in my arms, whether I was trying to bathe him, or trim claws, or give him meds.